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The co-owner of a Seneca Lake winery is asking for a grand jury investigation into the relationship between a company that wants to put a liquid petroleum gas storage facility in the Town of Reading and some local officials.

Justin Boyette, co-owner of the Hector Wine Co. on state Route 414, wrote a letter to Schuyler County District Attorney Joseph Fazzary expressing his concerns and asking for a grand jury probe. Fazzary said Tuesday it would be inappropriate to empanel a grand jury for the investigation Boyette proposed.

Among the issues Boyette wanted addressed:

• The relationship between Schuyler County and Town of Reading officials and officers of Inergy Corp. and its successor, Crestwood, of Houston, Texas.

• Possibility of conflict of interest between any county or town officials in their public or private dealings with Inergy and Crestwood.

• Possibility of illegal coercion of employees of U.S. Salt, (a Crestwood subsidiary) to force them to show political support for the project under threat of job loss or other repercussions.

"Over the last couple of years, as opposition for the project has grown and grown and a huge number of people have been petitioning and demonstrating against it, certain members of the legislature have hardened their stances and continue to ignore public opinion," Boyette said. "It causes some speculation as to why that might be. I feel there should be some investigation to make sure there is no illegal reason for that to be taking place."

The Schuyler County Legislature voted 5-3 in June to endorse a plan to locate a gas storage facility in depleted salt caverns in the Town of Reading. The state Department of Environmental Conservation will have the final say on permit approval.

Fazzary responded to Boyette by saying it's not the district attorney's nor the grand jury's job to gather evidence of wrongdoing.

"I felt that empaneling a grand jury for a discovery proceeding would be an inappropriate use of my authority," Fazzary said. "The police do an investigation and if they find something, I would present it (to a grand jury). Nobody is suggesting any crimes have been committed but that there is some sort of public official malfeasance. He hasn't provided any evidence."